puck, Babcock said. Hes sick and tired of chasing it already. So then the next thing hes going to figure out if he

BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado senior Jaleel Awini has followed a career path filled with detours, curves and potholes.No qualms, though.A highly touted prospect out of high school, his winding road began as Air Forces starting quarterback before a violation of Academy standards led to an indefinite suspension. Awini transferred to Colorado, switched to linebacker because the Buffaloes already had a QB, switched again to wide receiver, sat out the start of this season with a herniated disk -- one that threatened his career -- and now fills a role on special teams for No. 16 Colorado.Im not disappointed or mad, said Awini, whose team plays at Arizona on Saturday as the Buffaloes (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12, No. 12 CFP) continue their march toward a conference title. I pictured (my career) a lot different. But I cant complain. Im happy where Im at and making CU great again.First impression of Awini: Extremely polite. Just part of his upbringing as one of three kids of a father who served as a Ghanaian diplomat before moving to the U.S. and settling in Colorado. His mother is the one who urged him toward football, as a way to burn off some of his endless energy.He checks in with his parents at least three times a week. And when it snows, he always offers to travel from Boulder to Aurora -- about a 40-minute commute -- to shovel their driveway.I cant believe the determination he has, his father, Muntari said. All that he believes is if theres a will theres a way, and you can achieve anything.That upbeat nature is what coach Mike MacIntyre appreciates about Awini.Hes had a tough ride, and wishes he was playing more. But its the way its worked out, MacIntyre said. He told me the other day, `Coach, I just want to help any way I can help. That means a lot.Awini had quite a bit of interest coming out of Rangeview High School in Aurora as Colorados Gatorade player of the year. There was even an early courtship with Colorado, but things changed when Dan Hawkins left and the new staff didnt pursue him.Air Force won out, in part because the Falcons triple-option offense seemed a perfect fit for a QB who rushed for 1,078 yards his senior season and threw for 1,266.After a redshirt season, Awini stepped into the lineup. He played in four games in 2013 -- started three -- and rushed for 220 yards while throwing for another 275 yards.Precisely the sort of dynamic player the offense needed.Barely a month into the season, though, the Air Force Academy issued a statement saying Awini was no longer a cadet in good standing and is not allowed to represent the Academy in any outside activities, effective immediately.Awini said it involved academic issues. He was eventually granted his release.He considered Virginia, before electing to go to Colorado for one big reason: He wanted to help restore the luster to the Buffaloes, a once downtrodden program thats now bowl eligible for the first time since 2007.Those Colorado teams I saw as a kid (in the early 2000s), thats the reason I started playing football, said Awini, an economics major set to graduate in December.Since he was 5 years old, Awini has always played quarterback. But that wasnt much of an option at Colorado, not with Sefo Liufau embarking on a career that would see him break or tie 82 school records.So, Awini moved to linebacker in 2015 while remaining at his QB weight of 220 pounds. His best game was a 10-tackle performance against Arizona.Toward the end of last season, Liufau injured a foot and Awini was moved to backup quarterback. He ran the offense on the next-to-last drive of the season at Utah, even converting a fourth-and-2 with an 8-yard run.Just like old times.With Liufau healthy this season, the Buffaloes switched Awini to receiver. But over the summer he experienced persistent pain in his back. Doctors found he had a herniated disk and a small fracture.He sat out the opening seven games of the season, waiting for his back to heal. Against UCLA last week, he made one tackle on special teams -- his first tackle of the year.It was just awesome to finally be back out there, said Awini, who wears a protective brace. This is something Im going to cherish and miss.I dont think many have had as crazy of a career as me.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Josh Whitman Jersey Online . Irving scored 23 points, Tristan Thompson had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 117-109 on Friday night. Cheap Jerseys .ca. 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TORONTO -- To help Auston Matthews through the first slump of his rookie season, Toronto coach Mike Babcock has turned to Sidney Crosby and Henrik Zetterberg.Matthews piled up six goals and 10 points in his first six games, including a historic four-goal outing in his NHL debut. The 19-year-old Matthews was still tied for second Tuesday among all rookies in scoring (12 points), four points behind Patrik Laine.But Matthews has no goals and two assists in the past nine games, and Babcock is using video of Crosby and Zetterberg to do some tweaking with his young star.In one-on-one sessions, Babcock showed Matthews how Zetterberg, the longtime Red Wings star, gets the puck back just by standing in the right places defensively. He showed Matthews Crosbys strategy of luring the defenses out of position and not hesitating to make plays.Babcock has seen subtle adjustments from Matthews over the past couple weeks, particularly in the faceoff circle. The Arizona native won 43 percent of the draws in the opening five games, 53 percent in the ffollowing five and 61 percent in the past five.ddddddddddddhat hes telling you already is he likes having the puck, Babcock said. Hes sick and tired of chasing it already. So then the next thing hes going to figure out if he stops in the right places on defense and puts his stick in the right place, the offensive players are going to keep giving it back to him and then his skillset is going to come out.But the hardest part for a kid when you come in the National Hockey League is you never get the puck.Matthews said he believes hes grown stronger defensively in recent weeks. He also leads Toronto with 58 shots, though he last scored Oct. 25 against Tampa Bay, nine games ago.In our situation we need him to be a dominant, dominant center for us, Babcock said. We think hes going to be by Christmas time. We think hes a very good player already. But we think he can be lights-out both with and without the puck. ' ' '